Tracker-bar for mechanical musical instruments.



Patented June 21, 1904;

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

JOSEPH COURVILLE AND FRANCIS IV. DRAPER, OF DETROIT, A'IICIIIGAN, ASSIGNORS TO THE FARRAND ORGAN COMPANY, OF DETROIT, M ICHI- GAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

TRACKER-BAR FOR MECHANICAL MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,986, dated June 21, 1904.

Application filed February 10, 1903. Serial No. 142,754. (No model.)

To all whmn it non/y concern:

Be it known that we, J OSEIH COURVILLE and FRANCIS IV. DRAPER, citizens of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of WVayne and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tracker-Bars for Mechanical Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accom- Io panying drawings.

The invention has particular reference to pneumatically-controlled mechanical musical instruments, the sounding devices of which are operated by the movement of a traveling perforated sheet over a member generally termed a tracker-bar and provided with a plurality of air-ducts leading to the pneumatic devices and with which the apertures in the sheet are adapted to cooperate. In musical instruments of this character it is essential that the perforation in the sheet should at all times register accurately with the correspond ing openings in the tracker-bar, and the present invention consists in ameans for effecting 2 5 a relative adjustment between the tracker-bar and sheet to compensate for the variations in the width of the latter occasioned by the atmospheric changes, and the novel arrangement and combination of the parts, and in cer- 3 tain details of construction, as will be hereinafter described and illustrated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a mechanical musical instrument, illustrating an embodiment of our invention. Fig. Qisa vertical section through the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a plan view.

In the drawings thus briefly described the reference-letter A designates the tracker-bar,

4 which is of the ordinary construction and is provided with suitable support, such as B.

C represents the usual openings in the tracker-bar provided with the flexible ducts D, which lead to the sound-actuating devices.

(Not herein shown.)

E represents the take-up roll journaled for rotary movement and actuated by means of the usual driven pinion F, which engages with a gear-wheel G upon the roll.

H is a detachable musicroll, also mounted for rotary movement, adapted to be operated through the agency of the customary sprocketwheels I and J, carried, respectively, by the music and take-up rolls.

L represents the apertured music-sheet se- 5 5 cured at one end to the music-roll and adapted to be wound from said roll onto the takeup roll in the usual manner.

M designates a support on which both the music and take-up rolls are journaled and which is longitudinally adjustable relative to the tracker-bar, permitting the compensation previously described to be effected. In construction the preferable form of support is a roll-holding box N, mounted upon the instruo5 ment-casingin this particular instance the wind-chest O. The rolls described are jour naled in the sides P of the box, and the latter is adjusted in relation to the tracker-bar in a manner hereinafter set forth. To insure a longitudinal movement of this support in a plane parallel with the tracker-bar, we provide the roll-holding box with guide-grooves a, in which extend suitable guide-pins 71, secured, preferably, to the wind-chest O.

Q is an operating-lever pivoted to the rollbox, as shown, and having its inner end forlced to engage a pin R, arranged, preferal'ily, in a notch S, formed in the tracker-bar support B. By shifting the lever in either direction a 1011- gitudinal movement will be imparted to the roll-support, and its direction of travel will be maintained in a plane parallel with the tracker-bar, due to the guide mechanism described. The roll-holding box will beheld in L its different positions of adjustment by the guide-pins 7/, which afl'ord enough resistance for this purpose, but not enough to prevent the proper adjustment of the box, said support having grooves therethrough and guides en- 9 gaging the grooves.

Attention is directed to the fact that by arranging and combining the parts as set forth the desired adjustment can be made without the necessity of disturbing the tracker-bar, and thus disarranging the parts connected to it-namely, the flexible air-ducts, which are easily displaced and injured. Itis to be understood, however, that our invention embraces a support for the music and take-up rolls adjustable relatively to the tracker-bar whether the latter is stationary or movable.

hat we claim as our invention is 1. In a mechanical musical instrument the combination with a longitudinally-adjustable box-frame, comprising back, bottom and end sections, of take-up and music rolls rotatively mounted between the end sections, a stationary tracker-bar, and an operating-lever pivoted intermediate its ends to the bottom section of the frame and at its inner end to the trackerbar intermediate the ends of the latter.

2. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar, of take-up and music rolls, a single support for both rolls adjustable longitudinally relative to the trackerbar, grooves through the base of said support, pins engaging the grooves for insuring an adjustment in a plane parallel with the trackerbar, and an operating-lever pivotally secured to the support intermediate said grooves.

3. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination of astationary tracker-bar, of the take-up and the music rolls, a roll-holding box in which said take-up and music rolls are mounted for rotary movement, and means within said box and intermediate its ends for longitudinally adjusting said box in a straight line relative to the tracker-bar.

4. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with the stationary tracker-bar, of the take-up and music rolls, a roll-holding box in which said rolls are journaled for rotary movement, means intermediate the ends of said box for longitudinally adjusting said roll-holding box in a plane parallel with the tracker-bar, and means frictionally engaging said box to retain it in its different positions of adjustment.

5. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar, of archholding box, and means associatedwith said tracker-bar for longitudinally adjusting the box relative thereto, said means being entirely within the box and offering no obstruction therebeyond.

6. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a tracker-bar, of a support for music-rolls, means for longitudinally adjusting said support relative to the trackerbar, including a lever having pivotal engagements with said tracker-bar and support, and guides for insuring a' straight longitudinal movement of the support relative to the tracker-bar.

7. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a longitudinally-adjustable box-frame, comprising back, bottom and end sections, the bottom section having a longitudinally-cut-away portion adjacent the back, a stationary tracker-bar passing through said cut-away portion, take-up and music rolls rotatably mounted between the end sections upon the respective sides of the tracker-bar, and an operating-lever having pivotal engagement respectively with the bottom section and the frame and the front of the tracker-bar.

8. In a mechanical musical instrument, the combination with a longitudinally-adjustable box-frame, comprising back, bottom and end sections, of take-up and music rolls rotatably mounted between the end sections, a stationary tracker-bar, and an operating-lever pivoted to said bottom section of the box and having a forked end loosely engaging a lug upon the tracker-bar.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH COURVILLE. FRANCIS W. DRAPER. 

